In the past, refillable paint spray guns have proven to be a very popular consumer product category. Although such guns may be used to spray non-water based coatings, for example, oil-based paint and stain, such guns are typically most often used for applying latex or water-based paints and similar coatings. The proper use of such guns requires cleaning of the internal parts of such guns exposed to the material sprayed, i.e., the “wetted parts.” Because such coating materials are generally designed to provide a tenacious permanent protective layer to the surface to which they are applied, and because certain internal parts of spray guns fit together with very close tolerance clearances, cleaning of the spray gun must be both prompt and thorough.
The present invention provides assistance in cleaning after applying water-based coatings by reducing the effort and time needed to perform such cleaning. It also provides more convenience to the user in such cleaning, and is thus expected to enhance the popularity of products offering such improved convenience.